What are Plantar Warts?

Warts are common and are caused by the HPV virus — also known as human papillomavirus — which invades the body through breakages in the skin.

HPV is contagious, and is commonly spread from the surface of floors in public swimming pools and communal showers, or by skin-to-skin contact, and people who engage in sports that require bare feet (martial arts for example) are also at greater risk of catching the virus.

Anyone can catch this virus at any time, but it is most often seen in children as most people build immunity to it as they age.

People with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly, or those taking medications which suppress the immune system are also more likely to get plantar warts.

Whilst HPV is harmless, it can result in small, hard fleshy lumps on the soles of the feet — often with a black dot in the center — which are known as plantar warts.

Sometimes they disappear by themselves over time, but often the pressure of walking around on them can force them to grow into the foot causing a callus and they can become painful and sore.

In order to prevent spreading the virus further, and to avoid the plantar warts becoming painful, it is best to treat them as soon as possible.

Plantar Wart Treatment

There are a variety of treatments to remove plantar warts, ranging from folk remedies to freezing them with liquid nitrogen.

Not all treatments are reliable, some can be painful, and there is often no single treatment that works every time.

Here are some of the most common treatment methods for you to explore.

Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid is a prescription strength over the counter medicine in the form of a gel or liquid which needs to be applied daily to the affected area of the foot.

It is also sometimes available in the form of a pad which needs to be left over the wart for a long period of time.

Overall it may take up to three months to remove the plantar wart using this method of treatment.

Cryotherapy

This plantar wart treatment involves application of liquid nitrogen by a medical professional to freeze the affected tissue at temperatures as low as -321 degrees Fahrenheit.

Take a look at this video of freezing a plantar wart:

The liquid nitrogen is applied using either a cotton swab or a spray nozzle.

This type of treatment often requires regular treatment over several months to be successful.

Duct Tape

Duct tape is well known for being to fix just about anything, and warts are no exception!

Strange as it sounds, some success has been achieved by people when applying it to the skin to cover the wart and then leaving it for 24 hours a day, six out of seven days a week, for as long as necessary – usually around eight weeks.

Laser Treatment

For this treatment, lasers are used to cauterize the blood vessels in the skin surrounding the wart, cutting off its blood supply and causing it to die and drop off.

This method requires repeat treatments every three to four weeks, and may have limited effectiveness. It can also potentially cause pain and scarring.

Silver Nitrate

Available as an ointment or solution, or as a stick resembling a match, silver nitrate is a corrosive chemical that cauterizes the skin.

The silver nitrate should be applied daily according to instructions, usually after having removed the dead skin on top of the wart.

Immune Therapy

This plantar wart treatment involves injecting a kind of solution into the wart to encourage your immune system to attack the area where the wart is located.

The injectable solution usually contains antigens or fungal agents, and once injected the immune system attacks both the antigens and the wart at the same time, eventually resulting in killing the wart.

This method also reduced the risk of HPV recurring.

Plantar Wart Home Treatment?

So what’s the best way to treat plantar warts?

Is it necessary to visit a medical professional or can you treat the warts yourself at home?

The truth is that most plantar warts can be easily treated at home.

There are now many different types of over the counter plantar wart treatments that can be purchased online, that are simple and safe to use.

Home treatment is also less expensive than treatment by a specialist.

However, if you have a very stubborn plantar wart which doesn’t respond to home treatment, or if it is causing a lot of pain, bleeding or spreading rapidly, it may be necessary to seek professional treatment.

It is also recommended that people with diabetes or a circulatory disorder should have their warts treated by a physician.

The affected area must be thoroughly washed and then the wart soaked in warm water for five minutes, after which time the foot can be dried and a few drops of liquid applied to completely cover the wart.

This best plantar wart treatment also contains self adhesive cover up discs to place over the wart after the liquid has fully dried.

The liquid should be applied once or twice a day, and the treatment may take up to 12 weeks to completely remove the wart.

100% natural, this home plantar wart treatment contains a blend of essential oils and powerful homeopathic ingredients to kill warts or reduce their size quickly without using harsh chemicals or a painful cauterizing process.

This is a great pick for someone who wants to do away with the acids, burning or freezing methods of treatment.

Just 1 to 2 drops of Healing Natural Oils H-Warts wart remover should be applied to the cleaned, affected area three times a day.

This doctor recommended plantar wart treatment should be applied to the affected area after washing and drying the skin, and then gently rubbed into the wart for at least 15 seconds before covering it with a band aid.